Returned Confession
by HuntressoftheLight
Summary: Alistair and Leliana pairing. Just a short one-shot, mostly fluff, rated T to be safe. I don't see many of this pairing, so I thought, why not?


"How can you still believe?"

"Believe in what? The Maker?"

"Your ability to believe, even in this time of darkness, I don't know how you do it. What we face everyday is a living nightmare, yet you still believe He is with us, and with His guidance we are invincible. I wish I could have that kind of hope," Alistair sank his head into his hands, as if ashamed.

Alistair and Leliana sat in the middle of the camp, by the crackling fire, which cast a dim yellow glow onto the hallowed walls of the dwarven deep roads. The suffocating small of death and decay coated their throats, making swallowing even water taste like rotten meat.

Leliana reached out to hold his hand and give it a gentle squeeze, "You don't need hope, you just need faith in the Maker and your own talents."

"Faith in something that lets places like _this_," He gestured to the gruesome scene around them, "exist?" He shook his head, "No. Even though I want to, I can't believe like you. It's clear the Maker has forsaken us."

Leliana sighed, she wasn't going to argue, "It's okay. Everyone has their own belief," Leliana gave him a thoughtful look, "You know my belief is what keeps me going in times of crisis, but what about you? How are you able to keep going, despite all the obstacles?" Leliana asked him. She was worried for him. Every day that passed down here he seemed to get more and more distant.

"Lei. You already know what it is." Alistair faced her head on, soaking in her form, the blood stains did nothing to hide the fact of her beauty. Sometimes, she could be so clueless. He cared for her, in a way he had never cared for anyone else.

Leliana raised an eyebrow, curious to hear what he had to say next.

Catching her off guard, Alistair pulled her into an embrace, "What gets me through this is having someone I can fight for, and protect, but also rely on to have my back," He released her and his heart fell to find her face completely shocked, but he continued on anyway, "That person is you Lei." Silence passed for the next few moments. Alistair had enough of it, he was already going out on a limb, he might as well spill his guts, "I love you Lei. I don't expect you to feel the same way about me, but... I needed to tell you that." Alistair felt heart broken when she didn't respond, he should have seen this coming.

He was embarrassed, and couldn't sit under her gaze. He stood up and walked to his tent, dejected. His entire body felt numb, even then, he could still feel pain through it. He hoped he didn't ruin the good friendship they had, if anything he wanted to salvage that.

Alistair started to get undress, maybe his shame would fall to the ground too. Leliana burst into the tent, right after he had taken his shirt off. Immediately she started blushing and sputtering. Normally she wouldn't have, as she was used to seeing such things working as a bard, but this was Alistair. He was different to her, special, she just didn't know how. Until tonight.

She turned away, reluctantly, from his half-naked form, the image of his toned and muscled body burned into her mind, "I can't say I love you but..." She sighed, she had no good way to say her feelings, "I care about you, I just never thought that you would feel the same way... I always thought that you and Elyssa..." She recalled her boiling jealously of Alistair and Elyssa talking and laughing together.

"We're just friends. I didn't realize you got the wrong idea, if I had I would have told you nothing was going on. I feel like such an idiot." Alistair and Elyssa were close, and there was a point where they shared a kiss, but it was awkward and didn't feel right. After that they stuck to just being friends.

Leliana made the mistake of looking behind her. She felt her breath hitch up. No woman in their right mind would call Alistair unattractive, and neither would Leliana.

"You're not an idiot, and even if you were, you'd be the smartest one."

Alistair smlied, "That doesn't even make sense," he took a step towards her, eliciting an unintended whimper from Leliana. He held out his arms to her, she blushed but welcomed him by walking into them and wrapping her own arms around his perfect torso. A shudder escaped her lips when she felt his warmth surround her body.

Leliana looked up into his eyes, which were staring back at her with desire, a desire that she shared. But this was the deep roads, not some guarded inn. They were supposed to be on watch, and they couldn't do anything before she woke up someone else, namely Zevran, who was probably the only one willing to take watch right now.

"Wait here. Don't move. I will be right back." Leliana promised before she rushed out of the tent and into Zevern's.

"Zevran!" She whispered, and shook him slightly. Her heart was beating fast and loud, she could hear the pounding rhythm throughout her entire body.

"Leliana?" He smiled, "I don't suppose my finding you here means you've changed your mind?"

"No, Zev. I need you to take watch over for me," Leliana kept for voice low so she wouldn't wake up half the camp.

"Tsk, and here I thought you'd succumbed to my charms. Of course I will dear." He made a move to get out his bedroll, "May I ask what for?"

"You'll find out soon enough," She gave him a sly mischevious grin.

Zevran shook his head and laughed, "Go my dear."

She promptly left and made her way back to _him_.

This time she found another bedroll next to his. She smirked, he wasn't as innocent as everyone believed.

Alistair got up from his position on the bedroll, but Leliana pushed him back down, "Tonight, it's just us. Don't worry about tomorrow."

"I love you," Alistair repeated.

Leliana laid her head on his and spoke in a soft husky tone, her eyes darkened with lust,"Prove it."

He kissed her with a deep passion that she returned hungrily. This woman, Leliana, was his light in the ever growing darkness. All who tried to extinguish it will pay dearly.

That night they slept together they both learned something about each other.

That loving, or caring deeply for someone, can make you forget about the horrible and harsh reality around you. And sometimes, that's really all you need.


End file.
